Sunday, November 30--------The POFF Film School, an intensive set of panel seminars and master classes, begins tomorrow as part of the professional events of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. The program, which runs all week, is geared towards young professionals, film and media students and those interested in getting an insight from visiting professionals into the art and industry of filmmaking.

The program begins tomorrow with masterclasses with Martin Maryska, a sound and story editor who has made films in Europe and in Hollywood, working with such talents as David Lynch, Robert Altman and John Schlesinger. This will be followed by a lecture by Nana Džordžadze, a veteran Georgian filmmaker, whose latest film Rainbowmaker, is screening in this year's Baltic Competition at the Festival.

On Tuesday,  Dutch director Jos Stelling offers a master class on the art of directing. Stelling began his career in 1974 with the film Mariken van Nimugen, which was the first Dutch film accepted into the competition section at the Cannes Film Festival. He has since made such films as Three Erotic Tales and Duska, which screens this year at the Festival. This will be followed by an intensive workshop on digital film given by Digital Film Finland and Finnlab. The day's festivities end with a seminar panel presented by trade publication Screen International on the subject of European co-production, particularly as it effects the Baltic countries. Panelists include: Philippe Bober (Coproduction Office), Alexander Wieser (EastWest Filmdistribution), Ilkka Matila  (Matila & Röhr), Diana Elbaum (Entre Chien Et Loup)  and Piret Tibbo-Hudgins (Allfilm). Wednesday presents an all-day series of seminar panels looking at the development of Video On Demand and internet distribution that promises to increase the market share for Eastern European cinema. This will be followed by a panel looking at recent developments in Baltic cinema, which features contributions from  Edvinas Puksta (freelance journalist, festival programmer), Karlo Funk (Estonian Film Foundation), Greta Akcijonaite (Skalvija Cinema Centre), and Tiina Lokk (Black Nights FF). 

Thursday's program concentrates on the changing role of film criticism and the new challenges for film critics. Participants include Yoram Allon (Editorial Director, Wallflower Press, UK) and film critics Virginie Sélavy,        Catherine Wheatley and Richard Porton. This will be followed by a masterclass by Jörg. E Schweizer, Manager of Product Placement at the BMW Group, discussing the evolution of product placements by corporations in film and television programs.

The attention at Friday's event is on human rights initiatives and how media can help with the growth of awareness of social and political problems. Ted Braun, the maker of the acclaimed documentary Darfur Now, will discuss how he has used his provocative film to inspire both private and governmental cooperation in the fight against genocide in the Sudan. This will be followed by a panel seminar looking at human rights issues in Central Asia and how films have instigated more public and governmental awareness of these issues.

Sandy Mandelberger, Tallinn Black Nights FF Dailies Editor